A collection of fictional stories, sketches and imaginary characters set in the coastal communities of Jamaica. Meet a village elder who questions his system of providing guidance, disillusioned providers of charity, sometime drug smugglers and a man who thinks the best way to harvest the ocean is to throw explosives into it.
The Village Curtain: A Jamaica Collection
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About the Author
Born in 1943, Tony Tame has been associated with the marine industry since the mid 1960's. After 1970 he became directly involved in the supply and service of equipment to the commercial fishing industry in Jamaica. His lifelong interest has been the methods used in various types of fishing and the people who work in this field. Still active in this field his fascination with these topics is undiminished.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A beautiful collection of stories...,
By Orest Stocco (31 Stocco Circle, Bluewater, Georgian Bay, Ontario) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Village Curtain: A Jamaica Collection (Paperback)
Every culture has its curtain, and some curtains are more closely drawn than others. The Village Curtain by Tony Tame is a collection of related stories that give us a glimpse behind the curtain of a Jamaican coastal fishing community. Two mysteries lie behind this curtain. First, what communal secrets do the villagers keep from outsiders, and from themselves? And second, did the outside world put out a contract to kill the villager called Michael? "Of course you don't get mixed up with outsiders," the village elder Mr. James tells Michael. "Sharks maybe, but them is easy to handle."
Behind the idyllic appearance of the coastal villagers' lives we catch a glimpse of their amoral struggle for daily survival as the outside world encroaches upon their ancient ways, which the author symbolically captures when Michael takes Dr. Mitchell fishing one morning. The white doctor, who calls his posting "the place behind God's back," catches a kingfish. "Suddenly he felt as though he was connected to the very heart of a primeval force that was engaged in some ancient life and death dispute." In this primeval struggle lies the folly of man's behavior, and the genius of this collection of Jamaican stories lies in the author's wisdom to not choose sides. The Village Curtain is a beautifully crafted collection of stories that bring to mind Santiago's struggle with the elements in Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, (not to mention his less is more style of writing), but it leaves you wondering just how idyllic life can be when you compromise your integrity merely to stay alive. This is an intriguing collection of stories as rich in the intimate knowledge of Jamaican fishing culture as it is in its steely sardonic humor, and a pleasure to read. I recommend it highly. By Orest Stocco, author of What Would I Say Today If I Were To Die Tomorrow? and the novel MY UNBORN CHILD, to be released by Savant Books Feb. 2010
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A real insight into something real in Jamaica,
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This review is from: The Village Curtain: A Jamaica Collection (Paperback)
Its unusual for a book to entertain and educate and make some relevant commentary all in one. Tony Tame has managed it by capturing some sharp humour in an understated way which appeals a lot to Brits like me, while helpin us understand how the rural fishing uindustry in Jamaica can be as cruel as it can be kind. As anyone who has lived in Jamaica can attest, the characters are real abd the village community which to the outsider appears open until it actually matters is a revelation.
The book features politicians, fishermen, a dream filled American woman, policemen - all portrayed in a slightly ironic yet real feeling way. I read this book on my daily train commute into London each day for a week and irrited my fellow sleeping commuters on the 6.30 am train by laughing out loud sometimes and gasping others. Well done Tony - a great read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
From a Master Storyteller,
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This review is from: The Village Curtain: A Jamaica Collection (Paperback)
A highly entertaining collection of stories about the lives of Jamaicans in the fishing villages of this beautiful island. The writing is so evocative that you will almost smell and feel the salt air on your skin. Intrigue and duplicity abound as the characters strive to survive on this island "paradise". The author is himself a fisherman and the descriptions of the various methods of fishing employed by these people are both harrowing and hilarious - and true! A "must read" for those who are interested in a look at how some Jamaicans really live and in a story well-told.
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